


All They Are

by Iammissingautumn



Category: Bandstand - Oberacker/Oberacker & Taylor
Genre: Alternate Universe - Superheroes/Superpowers, Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-12-24
Updated: 2018-12-27
Packaged: 2019-09-26 03:07:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,415
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17133881
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Iammissingautumn/pseuds/Iammissingautumn
Summary: In a world where (almost) everyone has a power. Julia Trojan is interested in a band trying to get a bandmates memory back. While also preparing for a competition to try and get on the big screen, so she joins hoping the fact she can mimic other powers can help. But that means they have to tell him his past if they find out without him remembering. And what if he forgot for a reason?





	1. All She Saw

**Author's Note:**

> I like this but it feels sorta shitty and it's *very* late right now so if nothing makes sense, sorry in advanced. Merry Christmas for those who celebrate while it's coming up. Hope this first one makes sense and if it doesn't, ask my dumbass some questions in the comments. Or if you don't you could give me kudos and feed my motivation to work on this while grounded.

Meeting with Donny and watching him perform was something Julia was lured to the moment he started playing. She didn’t understand it and with all the people around her, it was almost distracting. But Donny stood out when he played. She could feel her hands heating because of what she assumed was a fire kinetic, she turned the thought away and watched them play. There were two standouts to her. The boy on the drums and Donny, maybe they only had strong powers but it got her attention. 

With Michael, she didn’t need to guess how anyone felt. If they were sad she knew about it and if there was something wrong she could feel the worry. Being around Donny felt like it was with Michael. Except different. She didn’t feel everyone around her, she only felt Donny. His passion. She knew it was him because she knew what it was to feel everyone, she would have felt all of the band and it all would have been slightly different for each person. What Donny made her feel wasn’t something every person did, but she had never heard of a power like this so she could be wrong.

Then she was called up, she felt her nerves spark up and hoped if there was an empath here they wouldn’t have to deal with her emotional problems. She noticed the crackling of the trombone’s silhouette moved around the room and was slightly surprised when she saw her own. In the crowd mirroring what she must have exactly looked like tonight. Not feeling any other changes made her worry about what else this band could do. So far she seemed to have three down, only a small idea of what the drummer could have had. It seemed to be solely musical. She was only sure about Jimmy, being around him always made her feel smarter. But even now her thoughts seemed muddled. Even more so when she started singing and even the crowd looked like they were unsure as to what was happening.

They all felt very different. But her nerves came back when she forget what was next, she could see her own person clicking in and out as it looked liked another part of her was teleporting. But she directed it, to the back room and saw six different hers starting to disappear. She assumed she was too as they changed tempo, she saw only one other of the trombone who moved rapidly but as if it was teleportation. 

Then the bass hit, drums, and Donny’s encouragement as she could still see the many hers, uncertain and moving. Could feel her voice shaking as she saw one disappear. Not sure if it moved somewhere else or was gone completely. But as she heard Jimmy start to play, she saw her own selves vanished but solid. She assumed she was solid too. No invisibility. She wasn’t sure who had that power but her thoughts were swept away as she went into the song.

The crowd seemed more happy and excited as she smiled through the song and Donny joined her. They even danced, laughing and cheering when the song ended. It was nice, she hadn’t performed outside of church since high school. Most churches that were government funded turned off powers the moment you walked in. So this was much different. She liked it.

She stayed with Donny after it ended, following him when he insisted on her meeting the others. When she shook hands with Davy after singing she didn’t feel anything. He was either without or had something passive and internal. The government put duds on the last list of people they wanted to join so she wasn’t sure what he was. But this was always the game when she mimicked a power she had to figure out who had what. Had to be perfect with every power, at least figure out to stop it. She had the most practice with Empaths and that was fairly common but it helped none with these boys. All of them were different. 

She shook James Campbell’s hand and remembered feeling like the smartest girl whenever she was around him. If she was around both Michael and Jimmy all day at school she could’ve been just that. A master of feelings and intellect. But Jimmy had never been much more than her boyfriend’s boyfriend in high school. So she knew him, she knew how he learned quickly and smoothly and he seemed to be on a different level of smart than everyone else. Would say it was pure talent if it wasn’t for the fact she remembered how hard he studied, how much time he put into it.

Then it was Johnny Simpson. His attention demanding presence seemed to be gone. So she assumed he was like Donny. Music only gift, something Michael had raved about when he first found out. Told through messy handwriting and an even more excited letter when he saw him perform. Johnny was curious to her. But she didn’t know much about him, so it was up to time to learn more.

Nick stood straight and complimented her but didn’t shake her hand. She assumed he was the one that had cloaking, something only a bit different than invisibility. He was nice to her, she wondered if he was as scared as she felt he was. Which was rare in itself, she hadn’t felt a feeling from someone else unless it was intense. Michael’s power mostly went away when he did, but such a second nature hadn’t truly gone away. Just mostly.

Then Wayne Wright. He looked a lot like Michael. She ignored that. As they talked she saw his own self flicker from one area to the next. She worried she made him scared. His rapidly moving silhouette starting to stay closer to the table as she asked about his family. And before she could say it was nice to meet him it appeared a step or two in front of her. She felt like if she tried she could reach out and her hand would go through it. She had only heard of someone like that before, never seen it. 

Julia expected a joke when Johnny asked her name again. Which reminded her how she could feel the bit of shame when Michael was told the jokes, she had never asked him about it. Johnny seemed nice but more often than not it was the boys who made the jokes. But they joked and Julia realized he might not remember what he even had.

“I don’t mean to be rude but, do you know what you have?” She had asked, watching both of them as Davy moved directly behind Johnny. His hands gripping his shoulders in a gentle way that she almost didn’t expect from him. 

“Thought I was a dud for a while after I came back,” Johnny told, taking another drink from the bottle Davy gave him. Julia could tell he wasn’t a dud, not with how she felt she understood him just when he performed. And he didn’t even say a word when drumming but she felt she understood.

“Johnny boy can show us his memories whenever he plays, only when he plays. We’re on a secret mission to recover his memories too. He tries to project to me in our free time and if he sleeps then I just go in that crazy brain of his and check the dreams. See if there are any memories to recover.” Davy explained, moving his hands to the sitting man’s head and pushing it back and forth a bit. Which made Johnny smile.

“Experts cost too much, nothing covers paying people with powers to help us. Which is bullshit but how it is. That is just a small thing Davy came up with when we were hanging out. I’m only involved because research is easy for me and unlike John, I can remember most things I learn exactly… And it’s nice to see you again Jules” Jimmy had added moving over to the table with a quiet Nick behind him. Still scared, just barely able to feel it. Julia smiled at the sentiment. Michael had only ever called her that, and though it hurt just slightly and it was weird not feeling how Jimmy felt. Nonetheless, she enjoyed seeing him again.

Donny interrupted them, a busy brain constantly moving and she was sure any telepath would have a migraine being in the same room as him. But the wrong insinuation made things even harder to bear. So she left, despite the fact that she enjoyed being around them. Despite that, even with the conflicting powers that they had and have little to no experience with them she wanted to see them again. But that… it was all too much. Michael’s name being brought into it, it made her happy thoughts melt away and she could see too much of him in all the others. It had been a draining night.


	2. All They Want

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Merry Xmas if you celebrate! Good luck on a great/shitty holiday.

Jimmy came to her apartment. She hadn’t expected it. Someone who used to only be around her because of her boyfriend was only here only because of her. She let him in of course. Happy her mom had decided to stay in her room today. Not wanting her mom to but in and steer the conversation in how _she_ wanted it to go. 

“Why are you…” Julia didn’t mind seeing him, but she never said she was gonna go back. She barely performed, had one song. There was never a spoken question if she was going back or not. So they didn't know what she wanted to do.

“I got Donny to give me your address, we just-... they had a few questions and you’ll maybe talk to me so they sent me out,” Jimmy told, a bit flustered. Which Julia had once seen often. But he had more of a baby face back then with painted light blue glasses with rims decorated by sharpie because Jimmy handed them to this boy during science who liked designing it and kept an extra black pair in his backpack so he could go home and pretend he lost the white ones just so he could express a bit of himself at school without getting attacked by his parents. She wondered if he still had those.

“Donny had a few questions?”

“No… the rest of us. Y’know some of us have met someone who has the same power but it’s always different. And it’s a bit reassuring for them, seeing you have the same as them.” Jimmy told, he was hesitant and she hoped he wasn’t nervous. She wished she could feel it. She would be able to handle this much easier.

“Do you remember?... We had a conversation in high school about it. The idea of genetics being apart of powers and meeting someone in the same power. How no matter if we meet someone with the same power there's most likely work differently so no one truly can understand.” Julia could only distantly recall it if she was reminded on a regular day, but today was not a regular day. Regular days meant that she was alone with no one to copy. She was with Jimmy today, someone who retained things like it was nothing. So she could remember a bit clearer.

“Yeah… it was late and Michael was out and your parents desperately wanted you to hang out with a girl so you chose me as an excuse…” Julia said, thinking back on the night in question. It was a sleepover and they talked for hours once the small bit of ‘we both fucked the same man’ awkwardness washed over. She never really questioned his parents, just knew they didn’t approve of James.

“You told me a lot of what it was like to have other people’s powers… all the reactions you got from it and how you liked the power you have. It let you see into other people’s lives without trying. Whether literally or through only mimicking, you had told me it was one of your favorite things about having other people’s powers. Because they felt understood and often especially in high school that was something a lot of kids wanted. We still want that, people. The band does though. They’ve never had it and I had you for a moment and met a few other mimics but they had only said they liked me because I had a calm power which… never felt good. Nick said he met one once but they had control over who they mimicked so it didn’t count… They really like being around you.”

“Because of my power?”

“Because of your reaction, Davy hasn’t had his power mimicked but he was one of the most vocal of wanting you back with them. You saw five others of yourself, you saw another Wayne and you didn’t freak out. You didn’t stop to yell nor did you get too scared and breakdown, you, you pushed through. They liked that.”

Julia also didn’t expect that. Her first response she had been slightly upset. It wasn’t uncommon for people to like her for nothing other than the fact she could copy them. Life was easier with duds, they at most called her lame because she couldn’t do anything without anyone else. But they liked her because she wasn't rude. She liked that.

“What did you want to ask?” She didn’t mean to sound cold, she liked that they didn’t want to just use her. But Jimmy said he had a point.

“We told you about trying to find some more memories for Johnny right? We were thinking since he liked being around you so much and you are a mimic maybe you could figure out how his power works and then teach him? Make it easier for him to share memories so we can help him a bit more.” Jimmy asked, a bit hopeful to her saying yes. He had always known her for being kind but… people change. 

"Yeah... okay yeah I'll do it" If Julia was honest she enjoyed helping people, and these people made her feel safe, comfortable. She could find no problem with helping them.

“ You can talk to us after practice or just come join us for the whole of it. We all want you there.” There was a pause after his words, and Julia wanted to hug him. To tell him she remembered the feeling of his constant worry as a kid. But she knew it must have grown since then She wished she could talk to him for hours and just pick up where they were before except even closer.

“I’ll see you there,” She told lightly, smiling as he fiddled for a moment. Knowing once he was gone she wouldn’t be able to remember herself as a kid as well as she did when she was around him. But that was okay, it made things easier.

“Oh and, Nick wanted to say thank you by the way… Wayne is used to people thinking he’s crazy to have his shadow out almost constantly, it doesn’t mirror him most the time either and people get scared. It meant a lot to him. Wayne wouldn’t say it directly but Nick did want to say something. I think him seeing you with a few of your own made him feel better too” Jimmy gave her one last smile before heading out. They hadn’t done much when they were talking, standing was all but she felt a bit closer to him.

Jimmy gave her a small wave and turned to the door, pausing for a moment before looking back to her.

“Anything you need, I'm here if you need it. I'm just a call away I swear.” He told, and despite their disconnect, Jimmy would do a lot for Julia. He had always assumed she’d go on to marry Michael, be an empath for the rest of her life and master her own power so she could just focus on Michael’s, and they could stay on the same page for forever. But he was dead now and so was his power. He had always assumed they would go on to live a great life with a great family and they would love each other forever. But death is common while fighting in a war, and Michael ran into the battlefield anyway. Hoping he would be an exception to the fate that so many had. His hopes didn't matter.


	3. All She Finds

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Julia's first practice with the band. And first official practice in testing out Johnny's power.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just finished the next chapter so I edited this and made sure it was good to go. Hope you enjoy!

Julia hadn’t thought she was going to actually practice with them, thought she might come in early to watch them but Donny had asked and though she swore she always felt a bit of guilt when around him she couldn’t help but say yes. There wasn’t anything to lose.

So they practiced, her copies sat down and watched them. Which made her smile, it felt like someone was looking out for her. Even if it was just herself. Wayne’s standing in the back, almost watching them but mostly keeping his gaze to the windows and doors. There were no points of worrying about disappearing but she swore she kept seeing a memory of what distantly seemed like walking, walking and singing in the middle of nowhere. Though all she could feel was excitement and focus as she learned with them. She was certain that was Donny’s fault but it made her want to come back.

She got to sit back, watch them as they get ready for more gigs and the end goal that she doubted left their minds when they played. She sat next to her two of her copies as she watched them all play, she had to remind herself the copy wasn’t physical so she wouldn’t lean against it. Sometimes if Julia pretended not to pay attention she could see Wayne’s copy staring at her owns, as if confused or surprised at the sight.

Soon the hour hit and they were done. Well, they had been working for more than an hour but that was when it ended. Which meant it was memory time. She didn’t know exactly what to do though, the band had just finished playing all together so they could see if they got the song down and Julia liked to think they didn’t sound half bad. But she went over to her copy when she saw it stand up, slightly confused.

“What’s it doing,” Donny asked, looking towards the door where right next to it stood Wayne’s copy. Who had abandoned his spot at the back. Nick glared at Donny

“He doesn’t like entrances and exits. We’re staying here for another half an hour or so right? He doesn’t want anyone to back out or anything” Wayne told, though his explanation left the room quiet till Jimmy hummed.

Wayne’s copy pointed and Wayne jumped a little. Turning around and taking the rag out of his back pocket to clean a spot on the piano. “Julia, you start singing. Johnny stayed close to her. The others are gonna stay back and Jules please try to keep your shadow with us… Julia, I’m gonna stand next to you and you try to show Johnny a memory. Maybe the one we were talking about last night. Think of it and he’ll repeat it out to us.” Jimmy told, and everyone moved like clockwork. Nick, Wayne, Donny, and Davy all heading to the wall away from them as Jimmy, Julia, and Johnny moved.

“Does everyone have to be here when I do this?”

“They wanna see, anyways it won’t be all of us here if we do this more often. They just like to watch. It’ll be fine, just sing something you already know by heart”

So Julia focused her attention to her few copies, trying to move her but she didn’t budge. “I need to focus, please stay back a bit” Her voice was clear in the room, and it hesitated but then they moved back, one rebelling and staying a bit closer. Wayne’s stayed by the door.

It took her a moment to start. This reminded her much of what it was like to play her uke and sing. Accept it was all her brain doing the work. It was a song she hadn’t heard since before the war, one Michael had said he loved and something that just felt the easiest to go off to. She kept her eyes trained on Johnny, not looking to any of the ones by the wall in case of distraction. She remembered laughing with Jimmy about his parents being so desperate he was with a girl that they let him stay the night with her, though with Jimmy right next to her she could only now remember him seeming a bit stiffer when laughing. She remembered talking about a teacher she now hadn’t seen in years, about tests coming up. Talking about Michael, how he cared. She pushed all the details she could remember into the forefront of her brain. Even Jimmy telling her that was the first day he was able to wear his blue glasses all day. Thinking about it and thinking about it and thinking on it till she was able to try to push it to Johnny. She wasn’t sure if she was just to hope he could see it or just thinking about him seeing it made something go off but she stopped with the song. Looking at the ground before looking up again to him to see if he would say anything.

“You and… a boy? In a room and he was staying the night maybe. You two talked a lot. He seemed younger, glasses that looked like… weird.” Johnny stopped as if trying to recall it. But it wasn’t his memory, she doubted most of it would stay intact after she finished.

“Gee thanks John” Jimmy mumbled, but he was smiling despite the sarcastic remark. “You sure you’ve never done this before Jules?”

“... not exactly. I had a girl in school who had telepathy, she wanted me to learn it so I did and we mess around. I’ve more or less been fine with the power itself but… nothing like this. Just aggressive internal is a bit easier to learn for me” Julia told, turning to Jimmy at the question.

“You two knew each other back then?” Davy asked, moving from his spot next to the wall to move closer to them. Donny following not far behind him. Julia looked out to the moving bodies, surprised to see her own was the closest.

“Knew each other was a stretch… just schoolmates that had a sleepover once” Jimmy told, a bit dismissive. Which surprised her, the explanation to them which definitely wasn’t as simple as ‘schoolmates’.

  
“Anyway, you two should do this a bit more. Julia, until you can get this power down exactly so he can see better you two should work on it more. I shouldn’t be there every time since you should work with your own memory. But if you want to I can give you my number… we can just review the music if you want to mess around..” Jimmy told after clearing his throat.

Julia moved a copy closer to herself, trying for a moment to make it disappear. Wondering if the cloaking could work only on a copy while she stayed visible. It didn’t work. Julia tried to poke the copy, knowing for sure she couldn’t actually touch it. She was just checking. She tuned out the rest of the band, seeing a copy start to disappear but she had followed with it. This reminded her too much of being a young kid. Running around as she teleported from the swings to the top of a slide, not caring as she felt much more in tune with herself than she did when alone, she had felt stronger as a kid. They were letting her do this.

Julia couldn’t help but laugh as she saw herself once more. When she looked to the other boys, Johnny was staring and seemed to have no shame in it. He had a small smile as he stayed in the spot from when she was practicing with him and just watched her. But she realized how ridiculous it seemed.  
  
Julia walked back over to Johnny, sitting back down next to him. Her own self moving away from them. Over to Wayne’s copy.

“I like your shadow, it’s cool,” Johnny told his eyes following the hologram-like copy of herself.

“Why do you guys call it a shadow? It’s a self-copy, right?”

“Wayne’s follows him like a shadow. I guess he never gave it a name himself, so I did. He told me before we joined this that they used to use it as a distraction sorta thing for the people he fought. Said he had a lot of control over it but now… I think he lost control? Y’know? Like when he got shot the few times it stopped listening to him and started making him do things… like control switch. But it makes him more nervous than anything else, doesn’t say anything for him to do but… get’s him scared.” Johnny told, looking down to his lap as he finished. Johnny spoke as if it was incredibly personal, and sure the group had faded more towards the middle of the room as they talked about the music and plans and that such but it seemed weird talking about one of them as if they weren’t here.

“... What’s your favorite song, Johnny?” Julia asked, instead of continuing the easily depressing conversation. She wanted to know if she could recognize it, and smiled when she did. She did what she could to remember the lyrics. “Sing with me?”

Julia smiled as she started and Johnny followed easily. His voice was soft yet attention-grabbing, almost resembling a prince. She was sure if he wanted he could sing professionally. But it was obvious he was unpracticed and he didn’t do it often. He sang along anyway, which reminded her of a boy that had once been in her choir. Bright hair and dark eyes and though they never talked he had seemed nice, helped other students and teachers.

Julia stuttered over a few words slightly, she saw a boy. She felt a boy. She didn’t know him but she felt like she did. A boy with the tired eyes of an old man, but he was young. Maybe younger than Johnny. His left arm wrapped in white bandages that seemed clean. His mouth moved but she couldn’t hear it. She really wanted to hear it. It was night time and a lantern-lit the area they sat in. It was cold but the tent didn’t make it too hot. Medical equipment lay on the table with a radio letting out the low hum of a song and there were two beds yet they were sitting so close to each other they could have been on each other's laps. She could feel it though, which made her realize what was happening. She felt love, adoration, admiration. Couldn’t tell if it was from the other boy or him. But it was there and it wasn’t like how she could feel two best friends love each other, it was a real relationship and it was passionate. Or she wouldn’t have felt it so deeply. Wouldn’t have mistaken it for her own feelings. She wouldn’t of if it wasn’t real.

But then it was gone.

“Are you okay Julia?” Johnny asked, his singing has stopped. She kept her gaze straight for a moment before grounding herself. She shook her head before nodding.

“Yeah… yeah, sorry. I just… you were projecting to me. And I guess I got lost in it.” She told, her eyes catching the sight of Davy as he moved over. Almost implanting himself into the conversation.

“Are you okay? I hope you didn’t see anything too bad…” Johnny looked down to his hands as if ashamed of something he did. But he wouldn’t even know what he did.

“What’d you see?” Davy asked, hope filling his voice. Everyone else wasn’t really paying attention but she could see Wayne’s shadow move closer to them, though Wayne’s focus seemed to be on his conversation.

“Do you remember being with a boy Johnny?” Julia asked softly, slightly worried she shouldn’t say this in front of everyone. Not sure where everyone stood although they seemed nice enough. Then again, Michael said Jimmy’s parents were nice if you didn’t look twice.

“No… I don’t remember much before the flip of my jeep... You saw a boy?” Julia smiled at his question, he seemed excited at the possibility. She realized he was probably pretty lonely.

“Yeah. Uh… I could feel what you felt about it. I think. Which I swear doesn’t happen a lot but my husband who died during the war, Michael. He was an empath. I’ve known him for years. Since tenth grade actually. And I was around him a lot till he left. But I even though he was gone not all of it really left. So sometimes I can feel really strong emotions. I don’t know if what I felt was how you felt during the memory or how you felt looking back on the memory but it felt like you… loved him. You two were alone, talking I think. I couldn’t hear anything more than low static and… a song but I think he said he loved you. You were close and in a tent and I think it was late at night.” Julia told gently, stopping as if asking for permission for her to go on. She wasn’t sure if even  _he_  was okay with it. But if he wanted to hear she would tell him. It was his after all. And it was a bit like telepathy when it was just hearing other people’s thoughts. It felt as if she was stealing them.

“Was he a soldier? What did he look like? Was he- Just tell me” Johnny was tripping over his words and was a bit loud which she couldn’t help but smile at. She could also notice the others were staring a bit.

“He was tan and had a tank top on. Very smiley and he looked at you like he adored you. His armed was messed up I think. Had bandages on and you two were on a weird bed thing in a tent.-”

“It’s a cot, it’s basically a bed but shittier”

“Thank you Davy.- A cot and there was what I think was medical stuff around. I think you two were just talking.” Julia finished, reaching to see if she could remember anything else he would want to know but couldn’t think of anything else. Pausing a moment before asking, “What do you know about your service.”

“Not much, I was a medical hand and traveled with a few different troops… went home after we flipped three times and… I probably have more information at home. I just don’t remember it.” Julia wished he didn’t deflate so much when he said he didn’t know. Smiling but switching to a reserved self when finishing. Julia really wanted to help him.

“So we could say he was your ‘patient’. “ Davy moved his eyebrows as he said the word patient. Julia couldn’t help but giggle as Johnny laughed. There was nothing for sure about what she saw but she was happy it brought a bit of joy to him.

“Hey, guys? Can we do the song once more? I wanna try something real quick. Then we can pack up and leave” Donny asked, getting attention the attention of the rest in the room. Making them move back to where they stood where practicing. Julia sang along but sat back with her few selves to watch. Entertained by how they worked back into it. Feeling abnormally focused, she blamed it on Donny but didn’t really mind.

Soon they had packed up and it was time to leave. Which she didn’t really want. The small talk of phone numbers and addresses gave her an excuse to stay but when they were gone she might as well leave to. But she enjoyed being around them, it gave her energy. Made her laugh even if her brain still thought of other things. She laughed genuinely and without guilt, that had been uncommon before them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments and kudos go a long way! Please leave some so I can get motivation to keep getting these out.


End file.
